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R E A L L I V I N G N U T R I T I O N
SleepA Food Guide to Better
Busy schedules and taking on too muchcan cause stress hormones, such ascortisol, to be out of control resulting inwired thoughts at night
If you experience sleeplessness often, there are a fewdietary changes you can make to help
Try these tips and see if you can find an easy solution
Eat a handful ofsunflower seedsin the evening
1
Sunflower seeds are highin the sleep promotingamino acid, tryptophan
It's also high in vitamin B6which helps build melatonin,a sleep hormone, in thebody.
Try sometart cherries
2
Eating a handful of tartcherries or drinking a smallglass of tart cherry juice cansignificantly improve the sleepof insomniacs as shown instudies
Tart cherries contain traceamounts of melatonin, whichacts as a sleep aid without theside effects of taking melatoninsupplements
Orange Juice
3
If you have racing thoughtsand anxiety during the sleephours, Vitamin C can helpcounteract the stressresponse.
Drink a small 6 ounce glassand don't forget to rebrushyour teeth
Avoid Alcohol
4
Alcohol may do wonders to getyou to sleep but it also candisrupt sleep and leave youwide awake at 2 a.m.
If you're having significantdifficulties with sleep, let go ofalcohol until you get back ontrack
Stop caffeinepast noon
5
Caffeine is a stimulant
If you're having trouble sleepingor are sensitive to caffeine,avoid or limit your caffeineintake past noon.
Some medications containcaffeine or other stimulants,check with your local pharmacistto assure you aren't takinganything to disrupt sleep atnight
Eat a banana for alate night craving
6
Rich in potassium andmagnesium to help relaxmuscles
Contains tryptophan, anamino acid that breaksdown into melatonin andserotonin to aid with sleep
Sip on decaffeinatedgreen tea
7
Green tea containstheanine, an aminoacid that promotesrelaxation
Unwind and relax!
Eat a small handfulof almonds
8
Almonds containsmagnesium to relax themuscles, promoting bettersleep
Beware of portioncontrol, too much fat caninterfere with sleep
Avoid dark chocolateas a late night snack
9
Dark chocolatecontains high levels ofcaffeine It also containstheobromine, acompound similar tocaffeine
No spicy foodsbefore bed
10
Consuming spicy foodsbefore bed can alterthe body temperature
It can also result inindigestion causingdiscomfort and troublewith sleep
Lack of sleep can make life miserable.
If your sleep issues are profound and the simple tricksdon't work, contact a sleep specialist as lack of sleepcan lead to serious health conditions
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Real Living NutritionA Balanced Approach to Healthy Eating in the Real World